Erro Proditio
by Minnerain
Summary: After discovering a startling revelation of the nature of Kurama and Hiei's relationship, Yusuke struggles to come to terms with Hiei's dishonor of Kurama. No pairings.
1. The Conversations

'_written'  
_"dialogue"_  
thoughts

* * *

_

_**Erro Proditio**_

_Chapter 1: The Conversations

* * *

_

"Confidential Files of the Most Personal, Serious, and Confidential Kind."

Koenma blew his bangs out of his face in frustration. "I'm quite happy to say that my labeling skills have improved." He muttered to himself as he pushed a small box of files to the side. Grunting irritably, he gripped the edges of the confidential file box and hefted it up against his chest. He turned around as he shifted his arms to hold it more securely, and then swore as he stubbed his toe on another box. Cursing the non-existent light, Koenma shuffled out of the room.

The demigod let out a relieved puff of air as he set down the heavy box on his desk; which happened to miraculously be free of paperwork.

_That ogre is finally doing things to earn his paycheck_, Koenma though rather distractedly as he ripped the packing tape off the cardboard. Why he had packed away files in a dark, dusky closet was beyond him. Maybe the aftermath of the Makai tournament had left him dazed…

Shaking his head to rid it of his wayward thoughts – and ignoring the strange looks shot his way by the few passerby – he slipped his fingers under a flap and pried the box open.

His curious gaze was met with four surprisingly plain, large envelopes. _Perhaps a little too plain_, Koenma mused. _Almost as if they were meant to be overlooked by wandering eyes…_

Koenma lifted the four pale envelopes from their resting place. Placing three on his desk, he held onto the top one and flipped it over to see its label. Instead of seeing a white sticker with stiff black print, the envelope had a name written across its center.

_Kuwabara Kazuma. _

Koenma frowned as a spark of recognition registered in his brain. He knew that handwriting…

He set down the first envelope and picked up the second one.

_Jaganshi Hiei_

Then:

_Youko Kurama_

_Urameshi Yusuke._

An interesting feeling settling in his stomach, Koenma carefully opened the envelope and scanned the first few lines. That was all he needed to confirm his suspicions.

He was looking at the exceedingly private files of the former Reikai Tantei.

* * *

"Kurama, are you afraid of death?"

Kurama blinked and looked up from his tea, casting his friend an amused look. "You do realize, Yusuke, that that is a rather ridiculous question. I, technically, have already died."

Yusuke drummed his fingertips against the wood floor, studying Kurama thoughtfully. He rephrased his question, "Well, maybe not death, exactly. I think I'm referring to the time right before you're sentenced by Reikai or right before you enter the place where you're sentenced."

Kurama gave a low laugh. "That, I am not afraid of. I'm going to be presumptuous and assume that neither you nor I will have to worry much about that."

Yusuke was silent for a few minutes, letting his contemplating gaze roam around his friend's apartment. Kurama went back to sipping his tea and leafing through a college textbook. When Yusuke spoke again, his voice was deep and husky. "I think that if I was normal – had never died before – I would be afraid. I wasn't afraid the first time, but only because I wasn't thinking."

Kurama was quiet for a few seconds, but he eventually asked softly, "Were you afraid when Sensui killed you?" Yusuke glanced up to see Kurama staring at his. Catching his gaze, Yusuke rasped, "Yes."

I mean, I really didn't have much time to be afraid. I'd known for a while what was coming; what I had to do. I wasn't afraid of the idea at the time. But when he came at me, for a tiny second I was afraid of what would happen to the people I cared about, and then I felt a bit of doubt of what I was doing."

Yusuke took a breath…and was silent.

Kurama poured himself more tea.

"Why _aren't_ you afraid of death?"

The redhead expelled a slow, steady breath. "My circumstances are different from yours, Yusuke," the kitsune said softly.

Yusuke glanced sharply at Kurama, noting this controlled tone. "Really? Are our circumstances that different? I was under the impression that you planned to live as a human until your mother died, and then disappear. Isn't that your plan?"

Kurama closed his eyes and a sardonic smile curved his lips. "Plans change. I wish it was that simple," he murmured, and Yusuke could've sworn he heard a trace of bitterness in his friend's voice. "However, my future has already been chosen, I'm afraid. Don't, Yusuke, "he chided as the other man attempted to interrupt. "I voluntarily chose this fate for myself, though I fear it was a rash, pressured decision."

Instantly, Yusuke shot back, "Do you regret it?"

The redhead gave a shrug that Yusuke supposed was intended to come off as indifferent. "A bit, I think," Kurama replied.

Silence reigned once more as the ebony-haired man brooded, and the fox stared grimly into his cup. Sun filtered in through the window, the leaves on the tree outside causing the bright splotches to dance and shift. Kurama gazed at the rainbows the light made on his wall; Yusuke studies the highlights the sun created on the stained wood floor.

When Yusuke spoke again, his voice was slow and uncertain, "I'm still confused, I guess. How can you choose the outcome of your own death?"

Kurama laughed softly. "It's a confusing matter, Yusuke, involving more than one party." The method that was chosen for us is rare, and most demons harbor too much fear to follow that path."

"Method? Us?"

Kurama flicked his hair over his shoulder, a slight glint in his eye. "Forget about it, Yusuke. I have already told you it involves more than one party. Don't worry about it."

The toushin shied away from his companion's hard stare. Yusuke would usually be persistent, bordering on annoying, but he knew when he was going into dangerous territory with Kurama. Sighing, Yusuke pushed himself to his feet, calmly meeting Kurama's now slightly surprised gaze. His eyes were perfect emerald jewels set in delicate features. The hard glint in those orbs was gone.

Before Kurama could ask, Yusuke shrugged and explained, "I promised my mom I'd come over today. She doesn't want me holed up in my apartment all week. At least, that's what she felt when she phoned last Sunday," Yusuke suppressed a grimace as he noticed the kitsune's eyes soften slightly, and then gain a frigid edge. He already knew what Kurama thought of Atsuko's parenting abilities.

"So, anyway," Yusuke continued. "I'll see you later, I guess. I know Botan mentioned something about dropping by today, so don't be surprised if she pops up."

Kurama _did_ grimace. "You purposely left that bit of information for the end of your visit, didn't you?"

The ex-Reikai Tantei gave a roguish grin that would have had any female swooning. Kurama's mouth twitched. "Guilty as charged. I have enough complaints taking up my time, thank you."

Yusuke snickered as Kurama told him exactly what he could do with his time, though not as politely as expected. Shouting a response over his shoulder that had the redhead slapping his forehead, Yusuke leapt down the stairs of the apartment building and streaked down the sidewalk.

* * *

"Hey!" Yusuke called as he pushed open the door to his mother's apartment. "Mom? You here?" Slipping off his shoes, he ambled into the apartment. He winced at the mess in the kitchen, but a flash of neon yellow soon diverted his attention. Snatching up the bright post-it note, he read it with a sense of sinking disappointment.

_'Yusuke –_

_Sorry I missed you; a last minute party was planned and I couldn't miss it! Put the dished in the washer for me, and we'll do something when I get back. See ya soon!_

_Love, Mom'_

Grumbling, Yusuke crumpled up the note and tossed it into the trash as he surveyed the dish disaster. It would take a few loads to clean up everything. Complaining quietly about his mother, parties, dishes, fox demons, and the world in general, he picked up the nearest plate and set to work.

Ten minutes later, Yusuke dried off an extra fork as the dish washer rumbled. He was just about to tackle the third pile of plates when he was interrupted.

"Why Yusuke, I thought I'd never see the day when you actually would lower yourself to do simple human chores! Did Keiko actually follow up on her threat to drug you?"

Swearing under his breath, Yusuke carefully set the plate back down on the counter and spoke without turning around, "Back off, Botan. It's just a favor for my mom. What does Baby Breath want now?"

Botan softened her voice as she replied, "Sorry, Yusuke. Koenma just wants you to come in for a bit."

"I thought I was retired."

The ferry girl shrugged as the man turned around and leaned against the counter. "You are, but Koenma just has a few things to wrap up. Records and all that."

Yusuke's face darkened. "We took care of records when I came back from Makai three years ago."

"Koenma found a few more boxes of files," Botan said impatiently. "He just needs you to come in for a little while to go over a few things to finalize the records. He wants your opinion, I think."

Yusuke gave a sigh and glanced back over his shoulder.

_Hmmm…dishes or Reikai, dishes or Reikai, dishes or Reikai…and the winner is!_

Heaving yet another sigh – he seemed to be doing that a lot lately – Yusuke asked Botan, "When does Koenma want me to be there?"

Botan smirked. "Right now."

* * *

Being self-conscious had never been Yusuke's thing, so when he followed Botan through the hallways, doors, and offices in Reikai he was completely undeterred by the stares he received. However, they did annoy Botan, and she was quick to snap at some of the shocked passerby.

"Honestly," Yusuke could hear her mutter. "They only fired you, what's so amazing about you coming back to visit once and a while?"

Yusuke didn't answer her. Botan brandished her hand toward him impatiently. "Oh, they probably think that some terrible conflict has arisen, but there's nothing going on…"

Yusuke finally decided to speak. "So how are things going here lately?"

The ferry girl glanced back at him. "Pretty well, actually. Makaian residents barely give us any trouble nowadays. Ah, here we are," They had stopped in front of the large double doors of Koenma's office. Yusuke stepped up to them and glanced over his shoulder at the girl. "You coming?"

She shook her head. "No, Koenma only wants to see you, and I've got things to do. Good luck, my friend," she began to turn and walk away, but spun around again as Yusuke stepped right up to the doors. "Don't forget to –"

Yusuke pushed the doors open.

"Knock."

* * *

"Sign there."

The ex-Tantei glared at Koenma's hand, which was waving vaguely at the piece of paper on the desk. Picking up a pen, Yusuke inquired, "Why do I have to sign this? I didn't sign anything last time we looked over your files."

Koenma made an odd sound. "These are different kinds of files."

_Gee, what a great time for him to go all Kurama on me and force me to drag everything out of him…_

Yusuke paused, the black pen poised just above the paper. "What kind of files?"

He could see Koenma's knuckles turn white. The demigod didn't bother to look at Yusuke, his intent gaze remaining on the manila folder clenched in his hands.

The former Reikai Tantei could tell that his former boss was attempting to keep his expression and voice calm and controlled. "Personal Files."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds, a mischievous grin began to tug at his lips. "And I need to sign…why?"

Koenma's delayed response came through gritted teeth, "Because I need permission from you to put these in the finalized records and timeline for the Reikai Tantei history file."

_Oooh…Ka-ching!_

His grin now in full force, Yusuke stood up straight and set down the pen. Koenma flinched slightly as the pen clicked against the desk.

"And if I don't sign?" came Yusuke's drawl.

"As you are no longer employed by me, you are no longer under my protection," Koenma said in a low voice. "I have freedom to punish you as I wish, physically or otherwise."

Yusuke felt a chill run up his spine as he stared at his former superior. It wasn't necessarily Koenma's words than unnerved him, but rather his dark, intense expression.

_Damn, but he's serious._

"Alright," Yusuke said silkily. Koenma looked up at him for the first time since the former Tantei had entered the office. His eyes were neutral but calculating. Belatedly, Yusuke realized that he probably should be worrying about the contents of the files, since Koenma was acting so serious…

"Alright," he repeated. "I'll make a deal with you."

The other occupant of the room immediately adapted a guarded expression. "Oh?"

Yusuke took a breath, then, "I'll sign…if I'm allowed full access to these files."

* * *

_To Be Continued_

End Chapter One of Erro Proditio.

* * *

Author's Notes (12-9-06): Well well, my first actual chapter fic. Not to mention non-humor. I'm desperate to know how it turned out, so if you could drop me a review I'd appreciate it. In fact, if people review, I may just write in Hiei in Chapter 2: The Revelation. Hark! A bribe and a preview in the same sentence!  
Anyway, I'm not too sure of what else to say, besides that this is horribly overdue. All I can say is that finals are truly evil.

Hope you enjoyed the first installment, and hopefully ya'll will stick around for part two in the near future! Ja!

Fury's Footsteps


	2. The Revelation

_'written'_  
"dialogue"  
_thoughts

* * *

_

_**Erro Proditio**_

_Chapter 2: The Revelation_

_

* * *

_

"Something's bothering you."

Kurama glanced up at Hiei through his lashes, and then exhaled a sigh as he returned his gaze to the foot of his bed. "It's nothing, Hiei."

The fire demon pushed himself away from the windowsill that he had previously been casually leaning against. "By admitting that it's nothing, you just admitted that there's something. Note to mention your ki is agitated, you haven't been talking at all, and you're obviously distracted. Would you care to change your answer?"

Inwardly, Kurama was cursing Hiei's ability to so easily read him. He kept his outward appearance unchanged (his inward appearance was making faces at Hiei) as he shrugged, avoiding probing crimson eyes. "Oh, Yusuke was acting strangely."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Strange?"

Kurama gave a reluctant nod, "I think he was troubled about something," he chanced a small smile at Hiei. "He was almost sentimental, I believe."

The koorime snorted, and the kitsune was positive he saw a smile ghost across his friend's face. "That _is_ strange."

Kurama made a sound that he hoped resembled a laugh, and allowed himself to hope that Hiei had forgotten about or dismissed his earlier concern. Until, "Did he say something that upset you?" Hiei demanded. "Is that why you're upset?"

"I'm not upset," Kurama murmured, "Don't get angry at Yusuke, Hiei. It's nothing to concern yourself over. Merely my trivial thoughts of my past; I'll get over it soon enough."

The koorime was silent, and Kurama dared not chance a look up at his friend. After a few seconds, Hiei spoke in a tone tinged with amusement, "Nothing you could ever think would be trivial, Kurama."

The redhead made a noncommittal sound, and began to fiddle with a string on the hem of his jeans. Hiei laughed out loud - which in turn caused Kurama's head to snap up so he could stare at him – and then he leaned down to grasp Kurama's shoulder and press his forehead against his friend's temple. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kurama, I'm returning to Makai in the evening."

Kurama gave a response that he couldn't remember two seconds later, then stood up and stretched. There was a streak of black, and Hiei was gone.

The kitsune immediately plopped back down onto his bed and groaned. Honestly, sometimes Hiei had the worst timing…though not as bad as Botan.

Hiei's impromptu visit hadn't helped settle Kurama down, either. He still felt fidgety, and there was an apprehensive feeling settling in his stomach. Ever since Yusuke had mentioned Botan stopping by, he'd been feeling on edge. Forcing himself to sit up, Kurama walked out of his bedroom, grabbed his coat from the closet, and exited his apartment.

* * *

"Now," Koenma began sternly, eyeing Yusuke, "you can't take these files out of this office. You can read through them, but then you have to give them back to me so I can engrave them in Permanent Records."

His brain already dismissing what he noted as Reikai-Filing-talk, Yusuke nodded, imitating Koenma's earlier gesture by vaguely waving his hand. "Don't worry; I'll just get comfortable in here for an hour or so."

Koenma shrugged and watched his former employee scribble his name on a signature line. Snatching up the paper, Koenma hesitated slightly before giving the four envelopes to Yusuke.

His hands shook

* * *

Deft fingers pried open the first envelope. Sliding his hand inside the envelope, Yusuke pulled out the paper clipped stack of documents.

Scanning the top line of the first sheet, Yusuke decided that it had been a good choice to open his own file first. By 'personal' they obviously didn't mean when he's lost his first tooth or what events had led to his conception (Just thinking about that made his shudder). The files documented events that had occurred only during his employment to Reikai.

Basically his personal files recorded things that either weren't needed or would take up too much space in Koenma's normal Tantei records. Snorting softly, Yusuke closed his own file and tossed it back onto Koenma's desk. He already knew everything in there; he'd been there when they'd happened.

Yusuke picked up the second folder and discarded it after reading the name. He wasn't exactly thrilled about reading into Kuwabara's personal life.

Now the third folder…that was a different story.

For a split second, Yusuke thought about how angry Hiei would be if he knew that every little 'personal' thing he did was being recorded…and that Yusuke was reading it.

Yusuke's hand, which was extended over Hiei's file, hesitated.

Hiei never talked about his past. According to Kurama, who knew much more than Yusuke or Kazuma did, Hiei hated his past even being mentioned, much less talked about.

Opening the folder, Yusuke skipped past the first few pages that surely held that information. He felt dirty just thinking about reading it. It was a direct breach of trust.

A sick feeling welled up in his stomach._ Reading about their personal lives…if I want to know anything, I can just ask them. No guarantee that they'd give me answer, but it's better than digging into their lives behind their backs._

The toushin tossed Kurama's file onto the large desk next to his and Kuwabara's. He was in the process of closing up Hiei's file when something caught his eye.

Without thinking, Yusuke started to read.

'_After a particularly gruesome clash in the grisly depths of Makai in which the kitsune being known as Youko Kurama was grievously inured, a decision was made between Hiei Jaganshi and said kitsune. This decision manifested itself into a blood contract, which sealed the fates of their deaths.'_

Yusuke felt something in his brain click.

Ah. So this was what Kurama had been talking about.

_That's weird,_ Yusuke thought_. To have your death preordained_. He continued reading.

'_With the blood contract in place, their deaths have been decided as such: each demon is to be granted gifts in order to avoid a meaningless or paltry death. In exchange, the only door to their demise is for simultaneous annihilation by each other's hand; the highest honor one warrior can give another.' _

Yusuke couldn't feel his hands.

He could see his white knuckles; could see his hands gripping the page, but he couldn't feel them. He was _numb_.

After a few minutes of merely staring at the words until they blurred, Yusuke sat back in his chair and buried his face in his hands. He allowed his thoughts to run amuck as he tangled his fingers in his hair.

_Double suicide…no wonder Kurama doesn't want to talk about it. When he said it was a hasty decision, he must have meant when he was near death. He and Hiei must have been desperate. God, when did this happen?_

_Then again…they're friends. Best friends. They're going to want to keep each other alive._

_Demons are stupid._

Pushing his frustration to the corners of his mind, Yusuke had hardly even realized his eyes had gone back to skimming the page when he suddenly sat bolt upright in his seat and stared so intently at the page it was a wonder it didn't burst into flame.

'_Though the blood contract seemed an ideal solution for their lifestyles, it would soon come to pass that the Jaganshi's honor would come into question. Merely months after the bond was signed and sealed, the koorime was engaged in a fight with Shigure, a warrior of Mukuro, and who a significant figure in Hiei's hazy past._

_Exhausted, Hiei viewed the only way to defeat Shigure was to put his own life on the line. In the final attack, Shigure was decapitated and Hiei lay dying from his attempted suicide.'_

As Yusuke stopped reading, the corners of his vision seemed to fade and fuzz, before abruptly exploding into angry red sparks.

'…_sealed the fates of their deaths…'_

'…_simultaneous annihilation by each other's hand…'_

'…_dying from his attempted suicide…'_

Yusuke could feel something hot trickled down his spine. Barely aware of his actions, he carefully paper clipped the papers together and slid them back inside the manilla folder. He stacked the four folders together and gently placed them back in the small cardboard box sitting on the desk.

One folded piece of paper was slipped into the pocket of his jacket.

* * *

It was exactly an hour since Yusuke had entered the office of the Prince.

Koenma had been watching the clock like a madman, prompting irritable chastisement from Botan. He couldn't help it; leaving Yusuke alone in his office with _those files_…it made him nervous. He knew what was in them; he'd written the majority of them! There were some things in there that he really didn't want Yusuke to know about.

Koenma hoped desperately that Yusuke hadn't looked in Kurama's folder, though the chances for that were slim. The chances were the same for Yusuke not looking too acutely into Hiei's, though Koenma had faith that Yusuke was decent enough to know where to draw the line on his invasion of the two youkai's privacy. Still, the demi-god allowed himself to hope that the hour would be up before his former Tantei could read too deeply into the records.

_I hate it when he gets the better of me,_ Koenma groused as he strode quickly back to his office. _I was hoping he would take my threats seriously, like I meant…him….to…_

The double doors to his office were ajar and wide open. Koenma walked closer and curled his fingers around the closest one as he peered inside.

The room was empty.

Koenma's toes curled in his shoes, and a strange, prickling sensation tickled the back of his neck. He stepped inside.

The small, indiscriminant cardboard box sat on the deck where he'd left it for Yusuke to peruse. Koenma apprehensively pulled back one of the flaps to look inside. His eyes widened and he blanched as he took in the name on the top folder.

_Hiei's…_

Reacting on instinct, Koenma hastily shoved the flaps of the box down and snatched it up from the desk, his actions completely opposite from the care and caution Yusuke had used earlier. He whipped around the side of his desk, yanked open the bottom drawer, and shoved the box in. A key instantly appeared in his hand as the drawer slammed shut. The key was shoved into the keyhole, and then vanished as Koenma stood up. He blankly took in his currently uncluttered office as his thoughts twisted and writhed in his mind.

Desperate, he sucked in a calming breath and blew it out slowly.

Just because Hiei's folder was on the top of the pile didn't mean Yusuke had read it…or all of it, at least.

The demi-god blew out a sigh. He rested his palms on the desk and leaned forward, staring at the video screen on the opposite wall. He didn't really want to send Botan after Yusuke, or worse yet, go after him himself. He was keeping all possibilities in mind; if nothing had happened and he or Botan showed up, Yusuke would ask questions. If Yusuke had discovered something he probably shouldn't have, he'd most likely try and get to the bottom of it. He apparently didn't need to question Koenma about anything, if that was the case.

The brunette plopped down into his chair and slumped down. Now all he could really do was wait.

* * *

The instant Kurama entered his apartment, he knew something was wrong.

He'd gone for a walk outside, hoping to clear his head, or for something to _happen_. But the dreaded feeling hadn't gone away, and his two hour walk around the city hadn't made him feel better. He supposed he was just waiting for the inevitable.

Well, the inevitable had come.

With deliberation, Kurama pulled open his closet door and hung up his coat. After he'd secured it and made room for it in the closet he stepped back and prepared to close the door. His fingers lingered on the knob however, as he stared expressionlessly at the interior of his closet.

_You know…I really like that coat. It's black. My hair looks good with black._

Kurama shook his head slightly and pushed the door shut. His delaying was a bit extreme, he had to admit, and he was very ready to rid himself of the stupid, apprehensive feeling that had been pulling at him all day.

The kitsune slipped of his shoes as he took a deep breath. A second later, he was walking silently but purposefully into his kitchen.

He was completely unsurprised to see Yusuke sitting at the table facing the doorway. His left arm was swung over the back of the chair and his other arm was in his lap. His legs were crossed, but his right foot was tapping idly against the table leg. To Kurama he seemed tense to the extreme, even with his relaxed façade. His eyes were stormy.

He was good, Kurama mused. But he himself was the master of hiding behind a mask.

Playing along with Yusuke, Kurama kept his face neutral and his posture relaxed. He spoke first, "Hello again, Yusuke. How was the visit with your mother?"

Never taking his eyes from the redhead's face Yusuke replied, "She wasn't home."

"Ah. What are you doing here, then?"

And straight to the point he went. Kurama didn't believe in coddling.

To Yusuke's credit, he didn't twitch or change a single nuance of his expression.

_He's getting good,_ Kurama thought dazedly.

"Sit down," he invited. Or demanded. For Yusuke's sake, Kurama decided to view it as an invitation and strode over to sit down gracefully at his table. He pulled his chair in closer, weaved his fingers together, and rested his chin atop them. The kitsune raised his eyes to Yusuke's once again and inquired softly, "Yes?"

The ebony haired man's lips quirked as he leaned forward and, removing his arm from the back of the chair, took a piece of folded paper from his pocket. He took it in both hands and pressed it down to the tabletop. Keeping his expression guarded, he pushed it forward until it was right in front of Kurama.

Kurama glanced down at it as Yusuke removed his hands. He leaned forward and mimicked Kurama's position as the redhead unwound his fingers and lowered them to pick up the folded paper. Before he could even unfold it, Yusuke spoke again.

"I am here to talk about that. And there is no way you're getting out of it."

* * *

****

_To Be Continued _

End Chapter Two of Erro Proditio.

* * *

Author's Note (12-28-06): First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for any mistakes you see here (and trust me, they are there). It's currently 10:30 at night, and I'm exhausted...no thanks to my cat. Rawr. Anyway, I had really hoped on getting this out sooner, but school attacked, and well...yeah. I'm pretty sure everyone knows how that story ends.  
I hope this chapter lived up to expectations. I had some difficulty writing Yusuke's part, but it's at least better than the first version. There's going to be one more chapter after this, and it will most likely be shorter than the first two. I haven't even started it yet, but I hope to soon. I'm determined to finish this baby so I can move on to my RuroKen fic, which I want to start _desperately_.

Please drop me a little review, and I hope to see everyone on here soon! Ciao!

Fury's Footsteps


	3. The Confrontations

**This chapter is rated M for language.**

'_written'  
_"dialogue"_  
thoughts

* * *

_

_**Erro Proditio**_

_**Chapter 3: The Confrontations

* * *

**_

Briefly, Kurama entertained the thought _now would be the time to run_, before stoically meeting Yusuke's hard gaze. His deceptively delicate hands unfolded the piece of paper – almost lazily. Not surprisingly, Yusuke was the first to break eye contact as his gaze found the document and stayed there.

As Kurama finished unfolding the sheet, he also finally looked down. He was filled with a moment's trepidation before he started to read.

Yusuke watched Kurama intently as his face quickly melted from curious yet cautionary to carefully and skillfully blank.

_My experience with Kurama tells me that's not a good sign. Shit._

Yusuke waited until Kurama placed the sheet back down on the tabletop before he pounced. "Well?" he demanded, leaning forward, his knuckles white. When he received an unchanging, bland expression, his already thin and worn patience snapped.

"Damn it, Kurama!" he exploded. "You can't just sit there like that! Say something! _Do_ something!"

Yusuke only realized he was standing when Kurama spoke, and saw he had to look down to see the redhead.

Kurama's eyes flashed and his form became rigid. "What would you have me say, Yusuke? What would you have me do?" His voice was harsh and hit Yusuke like a storm.

Yusuke opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He stuttered and closed his mouth. What _could_ Kurama say?

The fox, who had been watching him intently, unexpectedly sagged. Yusuke looked down in surprise at the defeated picture his friend suddenly made.

When Kurama spoke this time, his voice reflected his image.

"I admit," he began quietly, "that I am slightly upset that Hiei didn't trust me – us –enough to explain what he did." Kurama sighed. "Now he's merely making a larger mess of things, which I think he may have been trying to avoid in the first place."

Yusuke only heard bits and pieces of anything past the redhead's first sentence.

Because _now_ he knew what to say.

"Slightly?" he exploded furiously. "_Slightly_ upset? He fucking _betrayed_ you!"

Yusuke was one-hundred percent positive he saw something flicker in Kurama's eyes before he dropped his gaze once again to the document. After a few moments of terrible, thick silence, Kurama replied softly, "Yes…it would appear that he did."

"Great…we agree on something." Yusuke whispered fiercely. "So now I'm going to ask you this: What are you going to _do_ about it?"

"Nothing."

Yusuke snorted, but sat angrily back down in his chair. "Nothing, huh?" he spat. His previously hot, white anger was faintly ebbing away in the wake of Kurama's regained calmness and control. He was still angry, but even he knew when yelling wasn't going to help him.

"Nothing," Yusuke repeated dully. "Why the hell are you doing nothing?"

Kurama sighed again. "What difference would it make? No, don't interrupt me, Yusuke. I'm not quite sure you understand the situation entirely. The blood contract is unbreakable. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't break it."

"You can't break it," Yusuke repeated numbly.

Kurama nodding, his expression indistinctly weary. "That is the main reason such contracts lost their…popularity. They are actually banned for a number of species of youkai. You also need to get the contract verified by someone of Reikai, – someone possessing a significant amount of reiki, actually – and with Koenma within suck easy reach of Hiei and I, well…" he trailed off uncomfortably.

Yusuke reached over and gently tugged the paper out of Kurama's hand. He glanced over it while Kurama stared at his folded hands, and then placed it in the middle of the table. "But…" he began helplessly, "shouldn't you talk about it, maybe?"

"What is there to talk about?" Kurama asked, sounding frustrated for possibly the first time Yusuke had known him. "Hiei doesn't possess any human attributes like tact or delicacy. It's quite possible he may be under the impression that he is under no obligation to inform me about that incident at all."

The younger man began to speak, but Kurama ignored him. "In fact, I'd prefer that neither of us said a word to him about this at all. He is stressed enough."

"Do you trust him?" Yusuke asked quietly. "What is something like this happens again? What will happen to you?"

Kurama shot him a searching glance before answering, "Those are complicated questions, Yusuke. I do trust Hiei's…honor, I suppose." He exhaled loudly, blowing strands of silks out of his face. "As foe me, I don't know what would happen if something like that ever occurred again. I can't say I noticed anything different when Hiei…" here Kurama struggled for words, "first died. I don't know what would have happened to me if he had _stayed_…dead."

Yusuke didn't say anything. Kurama's lips curved the slightest bit before answering the unspoken question, "You know I have trust issues."

Yusuke snorted.

"Hiei _is_ stressed enough already, my friend. I-"

"Alright, I get it. I won't say anything," Yusuke interrupted, his stress on the word say almost imperceptible. The fox's eyes narrowed.

"Urameshi Yusuke."

The ebony-haired man flinched. "I won't!" he muttered, gaze skittering away.

Kurama softened his tone. "Look at all this from Hiei's point of view, Yusuke. Hiei was weak and exhausted; he couldn't have killed Shigure in a real fight. He defeated him the only way he could at the time."

The ex-Tantei had settled down in his chair and was silent as he stared at the tabletop. His pensive expression told Kurama that he was listening, and contemplating everything that was said seriously.

Kurama, interpreting that as the good sign it was, continued, "It's all in the past now, Yusuke, which I understand well enough."

"Of course," Yusuke murmured quietly.

Then there were minutes of complete silence, reminding Kurama of the conversation they'd had earlier that day. The bright spots that had previously dappled his wood floor were now gone as the sun continued to set. It was shadow instead of light that was filtering through the tree branches and his window, and the sun-made rainbows no longer decorated the walls.

The silence wasn't as comfortable as it had been during Yusuke's first visit, either.

Very abruptly, it hit Kurama that Yusuke needed closure.

With this in mind, the intensity of the silence escalated.

So, "Neither of us are saints, Yusuke."

And Yusuke responded, "I understand."

Kurama's bright green gaze met Yusuke's chocolate.

The blood contract between Kurama and Hiei was never spoken of again.

* * *

Fire eyes blinked at the sudden light as their owner slipped through the window of Kurama's bedroom. The slight, black-clad figure flickered stealthily into the hallway. The shadow emerged into the living room, but paused before going any further. Hiei relaxed his posture slightly and raised his eyes to meet Yusuke's. 

Kurama stood just beyond him; in the entryway to the kitchen. His uneasy green eyes swept over Hiei, then flickered alternatively between him and Yusuke. A cloud of uncertainty hovered over his face, and instinctively Hiei's senses sharpened.

"Off to Makai again?" Yusuke's voice reached Hiei's ears with unnatural clarity. His tone sounded strange.

"Yes," Hiei replied brusquely. "I have more training with Mukuro."

Yusuke continued to regard him expressionlessly for another moment before turning slightly to slant a long look at Kurama. Hiei's eyes narrowed a fraction as he watched the odd exchange.

The former Reikai Tantei turned back to Hiei after a few prolonged, silent seconds.

"Alright then," Yusuke said, his voice now adopting a clipped and short quality. "See you around, Shorty." He walked forward, then passed Hiei as he moved towards the door and slipped on his shoes. The door was half open before he Yusuke tossed over his shoulder, "Thanks for the help, Kurama."

Kurama bore that uncertain face again. His mouth was open but no sound coming out as the door snapped shut.

* * *

Tapping his fingers idly on his desk, Koenma blew his bangs out of his face for what he figured to be the seventy-second time that afternoon. He changed the rhythm he was tapping his fingertips to as his eyes strayed – once again – to the small cardboard box sitting on the corner of his desk. 

_It's been an hour, he though, feeling panicked. 'Think of all the destruction he could manage in an hour. I lost my city rebuilding privileges a year ago when I screwed up in Bora Bora…what if Tokyo-!_

Involuntarilly, Koenma looked up at the giant screen adorning the opposite wall. He could find Yusuke if he wanted to, but-

The door burst open.

Yusuke had learned long ago to ignore the majority of Koenma's nuances, so when Koenma stood up as he entered the room and took a step backward, he ignored it. He also dismissed the strange noises Koenma made as he pulled out the slightly crumpled slip of paper from his pocket and began to speak.

"Here," Yusuke said, setting the sheet on Koenma's desk. "Just had to borrow that for awhile. I know you said not to take anything from your office, but it was just one little piece of paper, right?"

"Ee…one…no, I-"

"Excellent." Yusuke pushed the small box on the desk toward the demigod. "You'll probably want to put that away, then. I'm all done with them." With that, he turned smartly on his heel and strode towards the door. As his fingers curled around the intricate handle, he paused, and said, "I met Botan out there, and she's been making noise about how you've been neglecting your duties today. I think I might've caught that your father was coming down to visit today, too."

Not bothering to turn around to see Koenma's fantastic impression of a dead fish, Yusuke pushed open the door and raised his other hand in farewell. "See you."

Then he was gone.

Misery loved company.

* * *

_Fin_

End of Erro Proditio.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho in any shape, way or form. This honor belongs to Togashi-sama and all related enterprises.  
Author's Notes (2-19-07): Yes, this is the last chapter, and because of that I figured I could get away with it being shorter than the first two. Anything else I added to make it longer would be worthless fluff anyway.  
I apologize for the tardiness, too. I had loads of trouble with this one. I wrote a page, had difficulty and then took a break from it just to give the muses some space. Then I came back and finished the first part - with more difficulty - before adding in the last two sequences. There are still some spots that are a tiny bit awkward, but at least I didn't have to rewrite the entire first part...which was an idea I entertained _yesterday_. But it's all good now.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed EP!

Fury


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